Band clamp of the axially operable type



Jan. 22, 1957 F. A. BERNARD BAND CLAMP OF THE AXIALLY OPERABLE TYPEFiled May 25, 1955 INVEN TOR. F1950 ALLENDERNARB cutouts United StatesPatent BAND CLAMP OF THE AXIALLY OPERABLE TYPE Fred Allen Bernard,Woodland Hills, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to AeroquipCorporation, Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May23, 1955, Serial No. 510,218

6 Claims. (Cl. 24-268) This invention relates to band clamps of the typein which a rotary actuator for tightening the clamp is disposed on anaxis parallel to the major axis of the clamp band. Such clamps areespecially useful as instrument clamps, for mounting, in an instrumentpanel, instruments, electronic tubes, lamp bulbs or other devices havinga cylindrical periphery or base; although they may be used for otherpurposes.

The general object of this invention is to provide a band clamp of thetype indicated, of improved, simplified and inexpensive construction.

A particular object is to provide such a clamp, wherein circumferentialconstriction is effected by axial movement of a connector element havingsliding connection, at its respective ends, with a pair of ears whichare formed as integral extensions of the ends of the clamp band, andwhich converge in a direction parallel to the band axis, whereby theconnector element, as it .slides axially, exerts a camming actionagainst the ears to draw the ends of the band together.

A further object is to provide such a clamp, including a yoke elementwhich has a .triple function, embracing the ends of the camming ears tomaintain them properly registered, providing an abutment seat for thehead of an actuator screw for moving the connector element axially, andbridging the gap between the spaced ends of the clamp band, to provide afull 360 clamping surface.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specifications andappended drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of an instrument clamp embodying the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a side view of the clamp as installed in an aperture in aninstrument panel, shown in phantom;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the clamp, viewing the take-up connectormechanism squarely;

Fig. 3a is a fragmentary front view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the take-up connectormechanism; and

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the clamp.

Description of preferred form-Figs. 1-3

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and in particular to Figs. 1,2, 3, 4 and 5, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in whichthe invention may be embodied, an instrument clamp adapted to be mountedin an opening 6 in a panel 7, which may be an instrument panel or anyother panel or wall member in which it may be desirable to mount acylindrical object. Merely by way of example, panel 7 is shown as ahorizontal mounting panel in an electronic apparatus such as a radio ortelevision receiver or a phonograph amplifier unit; and a radio tube 8,having a cylindrical base 9, is shown in phantom as the part to besupported by the clamp of my invention.

My improved clamp utilizes a flexible clamping band 10, of ribbon metal(e. g., stainless steel strip) formed to substantially cylindricalshape. An L-bracket 11 is secured, as by spot welding, to thecylindrical outer surface of the band, midway between the ends of theband, and thus diametrically opposite the take-up connector assembly,which is indicated generally at 12. L-bracket 11 has an arm 13 whichprojects radially from one edge of band 10, in a position to bearagainst a rear or under face of panel 7, to which it may be secured by ascrew or brad 14 extending through an elongated aperture 15 in arm 13and driven into panel 7.

The end portions of band 10 are bent outwardly to form ears 16 which aredisposed in planes converging in a dihedral angle which is bisected by aplane of the band axis, whereby the ears 16 are equally spacedsymmetrically on opposite sides of such bisector plane, at equal anglesthereto. Thus said ears are adapted to function as camming tracks. Inthe cars 16 are slots 17, elongated in the direction of converginginclination thereof, i. e., generally parallel to the clamp band axis.

A connector bar 18 has, at its respective ends, heads 19 which aredefined by respective pairs of notches 20 in the sides of the bar.Notches 20 are arranged to receive marginal portions of ears 16 alongthe sides of notches 17, and are inclined, with reference to a mediantransverse plane of bar 18, normal to the face thereof, with converginginclinations corresponding to those of cars 16.

The connector bar 18 has a thickness slightly less than the width ofslots 17, and a width less than the length of slots 17, whereby the barmay be rotated to a position in which its major plane coincides with themedian common plane of the slots 17, thereupon inserted lengthwisethrough the slots 17 until notches 20 are in positions to receive theslot margins of cars 16; and then rotated to a position wherein itsmajor plane is parallel to the major plane of the band 10, as in Fig. 2.The heads 19 are then in position to bear against the outer faces ofears 16 and to exert a ,camming action thereagainst when connector bar18 is moved toward the more widely spaced extremities of cars 16.

The notches 20 are of substantially greater width than the thickness ofears 16, to avoid interference as the .bar is rotated into operativeposition after insertion through slots 17.

In the center of bar 18, with its axis in the aforesaid median normalplane of the bar, is an opening 21, which, in the preferred form of theinvention, is threaded. A take-up screw 22 is threaded into opening 21,and has a head 23 which bears against an arm 24 of a bridge yoke 25, theshank of the screw being extended through an opening 26 in arm 24, androtatable therein.

Bridge yoke 25 is of cylindric segment form, having a curvaturecorresponding to that of band 11), and it bridges the gap 27 betweencars 16, with its respective ends supported against the inner face ofband 10 at the extremities thereof adjacent the gap 27, as best shown inFig. 4. Along its side opposite arm 24, yoke 25 has a flange 28. Flange28 and arm 24 abut the respective opposite edges of band 10, whereby theyoke 25 (which is of arched channel form) is adapted to snugly embracethe opposed end portions of band 16, thus to maintain them incircumferentially aligned opposition, resisting any tendency of the bandto warp or twist from true circular form toward helical form. At thesame time, it maintains the ears 16 in properly opposed registration, sothat the camming action of connector bar 18 against ears 16 may be ofmaximum smoothness and efiiciency. Also, the flange 28, bearing againstopposed extremities of one side edge of the band, provides a fulcrum toabsorb the reactive end load set up by screw 22 when exerting a pullagainst bar 18 to draw it with a camming action against the outer facesof ears 16.

The bar 18 is of sufiicient-thickness to support screw 22 firmly againsttiltingwith reference to the bar. Conversely, the screw 22, supported inopening 26 against lateral tilting, will support the bar 18, so that theplane of bar 18 will remain parallel to the major plane of band andnormal to the plane bisecting the dihedral angle of ears 16. In thisconnect operating position, the camming shoulders of heads 19 (the outerWalls of notches 20) will he snugly parallel to the outer faces of cars16, for smooth camming engagement therewith, and the bar 18 will operateto smoothly draw the ears 16 together, without the occurrence of anybinding action.

Bodily shifting of yoke circumferentially of band 10 is inhibited by theaction of bar 18 (which itself is restrained by its interlockingconnection with ears 16 against circumferential shifting) and the bartends to hold screw 22 in a circumferentially fixed position, and thelatter in turn tends to resist circumferential shifting of yoke 25. Asthe clamp is tightened, the cylindrical inner faces of band 10 and yoke25 become snugly adjusted to the cylindrical surface of the member 9supported therein, whereby the constricting: tension in the band becomeseffective to resist any tendency of the band to warp toward helicalform. Thus, as the tension load increases, the stability of the entireassembly, with all parts in their proper positions, without canting, isincreased.

Screw head 23 is provided with suitable wrenching surfaces, eitherexternal (e. g., the Phillips recess shown) whereby a wrench orscrewdriver, for rotating the screw, may be applied in a positionextending axially with respect to the clamp. Thus, the takeup actuatormechanism may be confined within panel aperture 6, as indicated, withoutaffecting the ease of manipulation of the actuator screw.

Ears 16 may have reinforcing flanges 3 4} along their ends.

The operation of the clamp is believed to be clear from the foregoing.

The modified form-Fig. 3a

Fig. 3a shows how the screw 22a, instead of being threaded through bar18a, may be a stud rigidly fixed to bar 18a at one end, having itsopposite end threaded, and provided with a nut 31, hearing against arm24.

Aside from this difierence, the clamp is the same as the previouslydescribed clamp.

I claim:

1. In a band clamp: a band having at its ends, circumferentially spacedears turned outwardly and disposed in planes converging in a directionparallel to the band axis, said ears having slots elongated in saidconverging direction; a connector bar extending through said slots andhaving, at its ends, heads bearing against the outer faces of said earsalong the margins of said slots, with a camming engagement such as todraw said ears together when the bar is moved toward the more widelyspaced extremities of the ears; a bridge yoke bridging the gap betweensaid ears as a continuation of the internal band surface, said yokehaving at one side an arm provided with a screw bearing aperture and atits other side a flange, the end portions of the respective side edgesof said band being embraced between said arm and flange; and an actuatorscrew extending through said bearing aperture and having meansconnecting it to said bar and arm for exerting a pull between said barand arm whereby said bar may be moved into camming engagement with saidears, with said flange transferring the reaction load to the edge ofsaid band.

2. A band clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said screw is threadedinto said bar and has a head in reactive engagement with said arm.

3. A band clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said screw is fixed tosaid bar and has a nut threaded thereon and in reactive engagement withsaid arm.

4. A band clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein the bisector of thedihedral angle of said ears is a plane of the axis of the clamp.

5. A clamp as defined in claim 1, including a bracket secured to saidband, projecting radially from a side edge thereof, and adapted to beattached to the face of a panel having an aperture receiving the clamp.

6. A clamp as defined in claim 1, wherein said bar has a thicknessslightly less than the width of the slots, and a width less than thelength of the slots, whereby the bar may be rotated to a position inwhich its major plane coincides with the median common plane of theslots, thereupon inserted lengthwise through the slots and then rotatedto a position wherein its major plane is parallel to the major plane ofthe band.

No references cited.

